M&P Shield 45

[cervri]

I have never owned an Auto pistol before so am wondering if you can or are supposed to load a single round straight into the chamber. The reason that I ask is that I like to load a snake load into the chamber then insert the clip...The problem that I have run into is that the ejector will not allow the slide to close fully unless I press in on the back side of the ejector while it is closing. Is that normal or should I not be doing this..

 

[Amp]

Will your snake load not feed from the mag?

 

[Colonel]

For years, I would drop a round in the open chamber/slide, release the slide, than insert a full magazine. I than read multiple articles that is bad for the extractor claw because it accelerates wear on the claw end of the extractor. Since than, I always load the chamber round directly from the magazine.

 

[cervri]

Will your snake load not feed from the mag?

Have not tried it...just thought it would save a step. After getting the snake load in the chamber, then remove the mag to fill it back up.

 

[cervri]

Just tried loading from the mag in it chambers fine...

 

[edubbie]

I usually insert 1 round in the mag, cycle it to load the weapon, then load the rest of the mag. Seems to work for me.

 

[bobswinea]

I have placed a round in the chamber and then released the slide then inserted a full mag...for years. So far have not had any problems with doing this. I would be surprised that a relatively infrequent loading would ever damage a semi. I load my CCW weapons this way only about once a month after their regular cleaning. At the range everything is loaded from the mags. Of course I have been shooting all 1911 steel guns until S&W lured me over to the dark side. LOL!

 

[kannonvaggon]

The .45 shotshells from CCI/ Speer are not all that easy to "drop into the chamber" on my Shield. I load one round into the mag with fingers, insert the mag into the pistol and slingshot the slide to feed the shotshell into the chamber easily. I then load up the mag with SD rounds topped up with one more shotshell using a Maglula. Seat the rounds to the rear of the mag firmly prior to seating the mag in the well.

I just started carrying shotshells again this week in AZ. The weather has warmed up nicely, but I have seen no rattlers yet on my morning motorcycle rides. Even out east of the Gila river between Florence and Kearny which is rattler heaven apparently. They will start to come out onto the trails in mid-mornings probably in another week or two.

I did go through an entire box of shotshells in the Shield .45 over the last couple months when doing my shooting practice out in the desert usually about once per week .... just to make very sure they cycle all the time. So far no problems and I do like the pattern of the .45 SO MUCH compared to the puny little 9mm shells . YMMV